


if i had a heart

by aquaexplicit



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Affection, Cisco's Powers, Doppelcest, Kissing, M/M, Tender Doppelganger Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 00:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16923207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquaexplicit/pseuds/aquaexplicit
Summary: random revibe ficlets that don't have homes.





	1. witchy revibe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> starfishride and liveyourtemptation proposed cisco as a witch, reverb as a witch out of control, and mr. ramon as still existing and being the only one with any witch sense.

Dante's second funeral feels more real than the first.   
  
It's partially because of the timeline. Everything before Barry explained Flashpoint was solid but wrapped in gauze, twinged in blue. Cisco always thought it was the magic in him, distorting the fabric of reality. After developing his powers, he attributed it to his vibrational sensitivity. He never imagined it was because his life was a reaction to Barry's split second decision to change time.   
  
It's partially because of the rain. The soft gray cradles the whole world in Cisco's grief. Dante's original memorial was on a bright May day, packed with all of the Ramon family's happy memories.   
  
It's mostly because this time, Cisco saw Dante die with his own eyes. The magic he and Reverb used to bring Dante back to life had brought him back in body only. There was no heart, no soul. Only violence. They had no choice but to put him down. Cisco hadn't been able to do it. Reverb had taken the burden from him.   
  
He got to hold Dante's head in his hands this time. He got the chance to say I love you, I'm sorry, I love you.    
  
Their family isn't at this funeral, but Cisco's is, fractured as it's become. Barry, Caitlin, the West’s, and the Wells flank both of his sides and there is a calm in his chest when Iris squeezes his hand. It feels less like running from a burning building and more like closing a door, gently, so he doesn't disturb a very still, very silent night.   
  
Reverb is creeping around the trees, shrouded in the shadow of a weeping willow. His crimson shirt and black jeans blend into the deep dark of it.   
  
Cisco latches onto the feeling of him, hovering just above his own vibrations, and it centers him the same way the silver cross in his pocket does.   
  
After they've paid their respects, Cisco doesn't ignore the electric pull he feels to Reverb’s side. He doesn't know if it's their meta power or magic or something else, something more vague that he can't speak but can touch, that lulls him to Reverb. Whatever connects them is a living thing, though, hot and pulsing like the core of the earth.   
  
Reverb doesn't say anything when Cisco approaches him. He won't meet Cisco's eyes.   
  
“Thank you for coming. Even if you spent the whole ceremony being a creeper.”   
  
“I wasn't sure you wanted me here.”   
  
Cisco frowns. “Why wouldn't I?”   
  
Reverb flashes a smirk but it's a lie. The same sorrow that sparked when they realized they'd brought Dante back wrong is still there. It hurts Cisco's heart to see it.   
  
“I'm the reason he's dead. Again. Even you're not that forgiving.”   
  
The same wave of horror grief that pulled him under when he watched Reverb almost die at Zoom’s hand fills his lungs. He knows intimately the perceived loss of a doppelganger. To think that's the despair aching through Reverb’s already shaken bones -   
  
Cisco gathers him into a hug. He buries his own tears in Reverb’s hair that smells just like his now. Reverb hasn't let it get as long as his.   
  
Reverb feels stone like in his arms but his doppelganger returns the touch.   
  
“Francisco,” Reverb says, unsteady.   
  
“You tried.” Cisco's voice sounds raked over all the sharp rocks of their pain and it falls against Reverb’s skin. Reverb hugs him tighter. He pulls back and he knows he's a mess of tears and desperation. His fingers dig into Reverb’s shoulders. “That's so much more than anyone else did.”   
  
Reverb stares at something to Cisco's left. His hands rest on Cisco's waist. Any other time, the touch would be accompanied by Reverb’s heated gaze and low words that would make Cisco roll his eyes. But it's gentle now, and warm, and all Cisco feels is solace.   
  
“It didn't work. It was a mistake.”   
  
“It doesn't matter,” Cisco says, simple, honest. “You did something. You helped me. You werethere. You understood.”   
  
Reverb finally looks at him. His fingers press against Cisco's body. Any tighter and Cisco would have marks shaped like his own fingers in his sides.   
  
Moving slow, deliberate as if through water, Reverb cradles Cisco's face in his hands. He wipes the tears away with his thumbs. Cisco closes his eyes and lets the breathing thing between them sweep him over the edge.   
  
“I’m ready to go home,” Cisco says. His voice is quiet but sure.   
  
Reverb looks at his mouth and licks his own lips. “As you wish.”   
  
-   
  
Whatever Cisco was going to let happen when Reverb breached them back to his apartment is put on the back burner as soon as they appear in the living room. There's another them there - a them it kind of hurts Cisco's head to look at.   
  
This them has his hair slicked back and is buttoned into a deep navy suit. His arms are crossed over his chest. He looks pissed.   
  
Cisco doesn't feel the same molten thing he feels when he looks at Reverb. Watching him stirs something that is deeper than what aches when he watches Reverb, something tucked between his ribs, but isn't as electric. The buzz in his bones is dull.   
  
Reverb speaks first. “Cisco.”   
  
The other them uncrosses his arms. He regards both of them with the judgiest judgy eyes Cisco has ever been judged with. This Cisco apparently finds both of them lacking and shakes his head.   
  
“I thought we were clear on this, Reverb. What is the one thing I told you that even we aren't powerful enough to get into?"   
  
“Necromancy,” Reverb sighs, actually looking mildly chastised. When he realizes Cisco is looking at him, though, he straightens.   
  
“And what did you attempt as soon as that string bean altered the timeline again?”   
  
“Necromancy.”   
  
“Can we slow this roll a second,” Cisco says. “You wanna introduce me to this me? This us?”   
  
Reverb sighs and flops onto the couch. “Francisco, meet the richest man in the Flashpoint timeline and most uptight of all our doppelgängers, Mr. Cisco Ramon. Cisco, meet the best one of us, Francisco.”   
  
Cisco shifts a little at the introduction. Other them is still watching him flatly.   
  
“I go by Vibe, too. If that's easier.”   
  
Other them wrinkles his nose. “That sounds obscene.”   
  
“It kind of does, doesn't it?” Reverb smirks and spreads his arms along the couch. Whatever solemn mood took him at the cemetery has either faded, or Reverb is slipping into the cheese sauce to deflect it.   
  
“Not that this isn't super fun,” Cisco says. “But can you tell me why you're here?”   
  
“Well, Francisco - ” Mr. Ramon begins.   
  
“Don't.” Cisco puts up a finger. His head is throbbing in time with his sick heart. He just wants to curl into Reverb’s warmth and sleep until he doesn't want to cry anymore. “Only he calls me that."   
  
Reverb smiles too bright for his face.   
  
Other them raises an eyebrow.   
  
“Okay. I'm going to call him Reverb and you Mr. Ramon. I'll be Cisco.”   
  
Other them - Mr. Ramon - nods like Cisco is a small child. “Do you feel better now that you've got that sorted out? Can I talk?”   
  
“The floor is yours, bro."   
  
“Bro,” Mr. Ramon repeats, shaking his head. Cisco takes a seat next to Reverb. Mr. Ramon stares at them, evaluating. “I'm here because you two are a mess. Whoever thought it would be a good idea for you to be on the same Earth - never mind. We don't have time for this.”   
  
Mr. Ramon starts pacing. “Now you - I can give you a pass. You just lost Dante. You were grieving, not thinking straight.” He pauses for a moment, something shadowed passing over his face. “Even the Powers That Be can understand grief.”   
  
“I'm not an idiot,” Cisco says, clenching his fists. “I knew what I was doing when we brought Dante back.”   
  
“Then you are an idiot,” Mr. Ramon snaps. “And you really didn't. He, on the other hand, did.”   
  
Cisco glances at Reverb. The pain bruising both of them has reappeared on his face, darkening the earlier attempt at casualty. Cisco wants to squeeze his hand, remind him they're not alone among all of those sharp edges anymore.   
  
“You said you weren't going to dabble in dark magic anymore. That you learned your lesson."   
  
“I did. I just thought.” Reverb clenches his own fists. “It's a different timeline, even if it's the same Earth. I thought - ”   
  
“No, you didn't. You didn't have a thought in your head other than him.” Mr. Ramon points at Cisco.    
  
Cisco looks at his lap. He remembers the night he asked - begged - Reverb for his help. Reverb found his way back to Cisco's timeline after the truth of Flashpoint had been spilled and Cisco had clung to him, the only connection he could feel, the only one he could trust.   
  
When Reverb told him he'd been honing their magic - leaving out the fact that he was honing it with the help of their Flashpoint doppelganger, apparently - Cisco had pleaded for Reverb to help him bring Dante back. To at least try. He'd clawed at Reverb’s shirt and sobbed until Reverb touched his cheek. Okay, Francisco. We’ll try.   
  
“You two should not be left without adult supervision.” Mr. Ramon removes his glasses and pinches his nose. It's a Harry like gesture and it makes Cisco's head ache. “Do you have any idea the consequences of your actions?”   
  
“It didn't work,” Cisco says. Heat pricks the corners of his eyes. “We had to kill him ourselves. Or do the Powers not think that's enough of a consequence?”   
  
Mr. Ramon softens for the first time. Cisco feels his heart skip a beat and wonders if his does too. They're different timelines, not different earths. Are they more or less the same than he and Reverb? Will the vibrations of his existence start to flounder if Mr. Ramon is here too long?   
  
“No. It's not enough. But it's not the Powers you have to worry about.” Mr. Ramon says, volume gentle but tone firm. “There's something coming for you.”   
  
Reverb takes a shaking breath. Without thinking, Cisco takes his hand. Reverb squeezes his fingers.   
  
“I told you, Reverb. Magic requires sacrifice. To bring a life back requires a life taken.”   
  
“A life was taken,” Cisco snaps.   
  
“I'm not doing this to you,” Mr. Ramon snaps right back. “I'm here to help you. Whatever demon you made your deal with came to my timeline first. I managed to fight it off until I could get here, but it's going to come back. It's going to come for one of you unless you have someone else to offer.”   
  
It's clear Mr. Ramon doesn't relish telling them this. The anger cording his vibrations isn't just directed at them, Cisco realizes. It's at what's been taken already and the danger they've put themselves in. Cisco suddenly understands Reverb’s earlier chastised look.   
  
Reverb’s hold on his hand tightens. Cisco thinks he can feel thin bones grind but doesn't know if it's Reverb’s or his own.   
  
He knows who's bones the demon will come for, though. The marrow at the heart of this fuck up.   
  
“It can take me,” Cisco says. The ghost of fear lurks in his heart but Cisco knows from experience he can put it to rest. And it's nothing compared to the clear, steady sureness of his words. If anyone should be taken for Dante, it should be him.   
  
He glances at both of his doppelgangers and wishes he hadn't. It's unsettling to see so much fury and disappointment on his own face and even more so to feel it directed at him.   
  
“No,” Reverb says firmly. “It can't.”   
  
Mr. Ramon crosses his arms again. “Is this the part of the brainstorming process where we get out all of the bad ideas? That can be a helpful exercise. Reverb? Any stupid plans you'd like to throw out?”   
  
“It doesn't seem like we have any other options,” Cisco says. Pressure is building in his chest and he has to take a deep, deliberate breath to feel real. “A life for a life and if Dante's doesn't count, then mine will.”   
  
Reverb digs his nails into Cisco's wrist. Cisco hisses at the sudden pain and tries to pull away, but Reverb’s grip doesn't falter.   
  
“No,” Reverb says again, more forcefully.   
  
“But it's my fault. I'm the one who kept asking even when you said it would be a bad idea.” Cisco looks at Mr. Ramon and offers his most earnest expression. “He told me it was a bad idea. This is on me. And I should've known better. If this is the consequence, let me be the one who deals with it.”   
  
Cisco feels both of them glaring, but he keeps his gaze clear and focused on Mr. Ramon. He's not going to convince Reverb to let him go but his other other him seems more reasonable. He'll see this is the most pragmatic decision.   
  
“You can bring me to it,” Cisco says in the thick of their silence. “Or tell me where to find it and stay here. You two can keep each other safe until it takes me. That'll satisfy the rule, right?”   
  
Mr. Ramon looks away from him and locks gazes with Reverb. Some silent conversation happens. Cisco wants to pull his hair in frustration but Reverb still has a death grip on his hand.   
  
“I told you what he was like,” Reverb says. “Would you have said no to him?”   
  
“Yes,” Mr. Ramon says, carefully not meeting Cisco's eyes.   
  
“If that's what you need to tell yourself.”   
  
“Okay." Mr. Ramon shakes his head. "First thing first. You both need cleansing. I can smell death all over both of you.”   
  
“Rude,” Reverb says.   
  
It takes effort but Cisco finally gets his hand out of Reverb’s grip. He stands between them. Fury is starting to swirl with his despair and he clings to the clean sharp edge of it.   
  
“Am I speaking another language here? I’ll be the sacrifice. There's nothing else to decide.”   
  
Mr. Ramon finally looks at him. He steps into Cisco's space, which is all of their space, Cisco guesses. The rage on the surface of Cisco's skin is reflected back at him. Mr. Ramon looks older than him, somehow, maybe wiser or more tired. Definitely more powerful.   
  
Cisco forces himself to stand straight even as his knees feel weak.   
  
He might imagine it, but he thinks Mr. Ramon almost looks impressed that he doesn't back down.   
  
“Do you know what it means to be a sacrifice? For a demon to hold your soul?” Mr. Ramon pokes at his chest. “You think Harrison Wells reaching into your chest and squeezing your heart was pain? You have no idea, Cisco. You will be in actual, literal Hell. You'll be that demon’s pet.”   
  
“I'm not letting it take him,” Cisco says. His voice doesn't shake even though his fingers do. “And this isn't your fight. So there's no other option.”   
  
Mr. Ramon makes a noise of irritation. “I can't talk to you. Reverb is more reasonable than you are. Think about what that says about your life and your choices.”   
  
“I'm the only one being reasonable!” Cisco shouts, frustration finally bubbling over.    
  
“If you think we're letting a demon drag you to hell, you're just insane,” Reverb says, moving to stand as well.   
  
Suddenly Cisco is flanked by himself - Reverb pressing against his side, Mr. Ramon crowded in front of them. It's a lot of Cisco. Too much. Cisco feels his heart and throat constrict.   
  
“We can give it someone else. Let's give it The Flash. This is mostly his fault anyway,” Reverb suggests.   
  
Cisco glares at him.   
  
“It is a lot his fault,” Mr. Ramon agrees, and Cisco swivels his head at break neck speed to glare at him. “But he's more innocent than guilty. It would bring bad energy to give him to the demon.”   
  
“What about Harrison? He's a dick.”   
  
“We're not sacrificing my friends!”   
  
“No one is getting sacrificed,” Mr. Ramon assures. He lifts a hand like he's going to touch Cisco but stops, curling his fingers into his fist. He looks to Reverb. “Do you remember the cleansing ritual I taught you?”   
  
Reverb doesn't hesitate to touch Cisco. He never does. He curls an arm around Cisco’s waist, pulling him close. “I remember.”   
  
Mr. Ramon looks like he's resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the display. “You two get your auras right,” he tells them crisply. “Let me think.”   
  
-   
  
Cisco is standing fully clothed while he watches Reverb - who slid his shirt and shoes off as soon as they got in the bathroom - pour ingredients into his running bath. Reverb recites the elements and their purpose as he adds them. It's methodical, mesmerizing. Cisco can't take his eyes off Reverb’s hands.   
  
“Salt for purity and protection,” Reverb says, low voice soft. “Lavender oil for calm and peace of mind.”   
  
Reverb pours a few drops into the water and Cisco watches him, curious. He always says a cleansing prayer after a ritual but he's never done this before. He isn't sure what to expect.   
  
“Come here, Francisco. And lose the shirt.”   
  
“I don't know if we’ll both fit in the tub,” Cisco says, but he pulls his shirt off and toes off his shoes and socks.   
  
He stands in front of Reverb with only a vague sense of unease. It's the edge of the unknown and the lingering frustration of the earlier fight that has him reeling. He knows Reverb wouldn't do anything to hurt him.   
  
Reverb stands. He puts a few drops of oil in his palm, sets down the bottle, and rubs his hands together.   
  
“This should help you,” Reverb says. His fingers are gentle on Cisco's temples. He presses the oil onto Cisco's skin, bringing it over his face, his hammering pulse, his heart.   
  
Cisco closes his eyes and concentrates on the calm scent, the softness of Reverb’s touch. Chills travel over Cisco's spine and he feels liquefied, tender. Something closer to peace than he's felt in a long time settles in his limbs.    
  
“How's that?” Reverb asks, words as gentle as his hands.   
  
Cisco makes a little sound in his throat. It feels amazing. Relaxing and sweet and good, good, good. He wants to stretch back and let Reverb press all of the calm pleasure into every part of him.   
  
“Good,” Cisco breathes. His eyes are drooping, sleepy. Calm is rolling through him. He tries to blink himself back awake. Reverb is watching him, intent. Intense. Cisco swallows. “Here. Let me.”   
  
“I don't need it,” Reverb says, but he hands Cisco the bottle of oil anyway. “But I'm not going to turn down having your hands on me.”   
  
Cisco's stomach dips pleasantly. He mirrors Reverb’s movements, taking his time to coat Reverb's skin with the calm scent. Reverb melts under his touch, eyes fluttering closed, mouth fluttering open.   
  
The urge to tease him rises in Cisco's throat and in the thin skin of his fingertips. He wants to brush his touch over Reverb's collar bones, the hollow of his throat, his cheekbones. See how much he can make Reverb shake. How fast he can coax Reverb's heart to beat. He doesn't think they have time for that.   
  
“Did he do this for you?” Cisco asks.   
  
It looks like a great effort for Reverb to open his eyes. “Don't be jealous, Francisco.”   
  
“I'm not.” It would be a whole other level to get jealous of himself. Cisco doesn't have the energy for that. “Just curious.”   
  
He got the distinct impression Mr. Ramon wants something, maybe not the same thing he or Reverb wants, but something he won't let himself have. He's too controlled. He and Reverb could probably learn something from that.    
  
“He just showed me how," Reverb admits. "I think it makes him uncomfortable. The idea of touching us.”   
  
Cisco hums. It's not like it's not weird. It's not like it's not unhealthy. It's just that he and Reverb don't let things like weird and unhealthy stop them.   
  
“Now what?” Cisco asks.   
  
Reverb’s smile spreads lazy. “Now we get naked and wet.”   
  
They get undressed. It's the first time Cisco has seen Reverb fully naked. When Cisco thought about this before, wondered about the when's and where's and how's, he thought it would be like seeing himself naked in the mirror. But it isn't. It's no different than being bare and vulnerable with any other person. Cisco hasn't been with anyone else like this in years.   
  
He doesn't feel self-conscious, exactly. Reverb would probably look at him with the same predatory fondness if he was missing half his skin. He does feel unsteady, though. Unsure. More so than he thought he would, considering he'd already decided he was going to let himself get to this point with Reverb.    
  
Maybe Reverb senses it. He extends his hand and Cisco takes it without much thought. Reverb smiles. "After you."   
  
Cisco holds his hand, using it to counteract his trembling knees as climbs into the tub. Reverb gets in after. Their limbs are awkward, pressed flushes against each other, and Cisco has to lean forward to keep the faucet from digging into his back. Reverb doesn't seem to mind.   
  
“Are you ready for the next step?”   
  
Cisco takes a centering breath. “What's the next step?”   
  
Reverb presses their foreheads together. He brings his hands to Cisco's face, lavender thumbs pressing flower soft to his lips. Cisco breathes in the scent of oil and Reverb’s skin through his mouth. Instead of telling him what's going to happen next, Reverb just holds him. Cisco wonders if the unsteady vibrations are Reverb's or his.   
  
“I'm not letting it take you,” Cisco says softly, mouth moving against Reverb’s fingers. He curls his own fingers around Reverb’s wrists and feels his pulse. If Reverb has any fears, Cisco will do his best to soothe them. “I promise.”   
  
“I know.” The edge of Reverb’s nails slide over Cisco's bottom lip. “I'm not letting it take you, either. He'll find a way. He knows what he's doing.”   
  
They sit, just like that, and Cisco feels their magic settle like graveyard dust. It's as strong and final as the earth. Both of their hearts beat calmer.   
  
“I think it's working,” Cisco whispers.   
  
Reverb tugs at his lip. He lets his mouth fall open, ready to breathe in the magic or the power, anything Reverb wants to give him. He wants to take it.   
  
A knock at the door shakes the moment. Mr. Ramon steps into the bathroom. When he sees them, he looks caught between embarrassment and annoyance.   
  
“I didn't hear chanting,” he says, and that's definitely irritation coloring his voice. He narrows his eyes. “If he told you whatever - this is - is part of the cleansing, it's not.”   
  
Reverb sighs and rubs their cheeks together. Mr. Ramon does roll his eyes then.   
  
“Can we get less necking and more chanting? I think I have a plan. I need you both purified first, though.”   
  
That does stop Reverb. His hands slip from Cisco's mouth to Cisco's hair, tightening.   
  
“Something that doesn't involve sacrificing someone innocent?” Cisco asks.   
  
Mr. Ramon’s gaze softens. “It doesn't involve sacrificing anyone at all. Finish the cleansing. I should have everything together by the time you're done.”   
  
As much as Cisco is willing to do what needs to be done, hope springs in his throat. They can all get out of this safe. Together.   
  
“Thank you, Cisco,” he says, trying to pour every sincere ounce of thanks into his own name. An expression Cisco can't place passes over Mr. Ramon’s face.   
  
“You're welcome, Cisco. Now get to it.” He raises his finger at them. “I better hear chanting.”   
  
He leaves at that. Cisco notices he doesn't close the door all the way.   
  
Cisco faces Reverb. “Is there really chanting?”   
  
Reverb sighs and leans back. He takes Cisco's hands in his and threads their fingers together. Their knees knock. Cisco rubs his thumbs over Reverb’s knuckles.   
  
“There is so much chanting. But it's necessary. Just repeat after me, okay?”   
  
“Okay,” Cisco says.   
  
He follows Reverb’s words and repeats them as prayer. He can feel the filth of dark magic seeping from their pores. Almost immediately he can breathe easier, cleaner.   
  
His mind feels more settled, too. He knows there's real danger, that if it comes down to it he'll jump into the pit himself before letting Reverb or Mr. Ramon be taken. The ritual purifies his terror, though. Watching Reverb’s lips move and knowing Mr. Ramon is working just outside gentles his fear.   
  
He has them. He's lost his brother, Barry, maybe even Caitlin to whatever powers are waking up inside her. The Wells are going back to their Earth and the West’s don't need another adopted meta. But he has them.   
  
He thinks it will be enough.


	2. witchy revibe pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> liveyourtemptation requested: revibe + "i'm being haunted"

Cisco doesn’t have to ask if it was the nightmare again. Reverb has charmed his dreams so Cisco can’t accidentally vibe them - sleeping is the only time he doesn’t want Cisco in his head - but even without their magic, their vibrations, Cisco would know what has Reverb panting and clutching at his chest.

“Hey,” Cisco says softly, sitting up and pressing close to where Reverb is trembling on their bed. He rests one hand on the first knob of Reverb’s spine before running his fingers - gentle, easy - over the hurricane of Reverb’s heart. “Hey, shh, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

Reverb doesn’t speak. He turns into Cisco, face pressed to Cisco’s neck, palm anchored against Cisco’s chest, seeking the drum of Cisco’s heartbeat. Cisco soothes him through the panic. He knows it will take time for Reverb to be able to speak again. Sometimes, when the memories of his own death bleed out, he can’t get words past the fester of ghosts in his throat until the sun rises.

Brushing fingers through the sweat mat hair on Reverb’s neck, Cisco presses a kiss to his temple. He can feel the fear throbbing there.

“I’ve got you,” Cisco whispers into his doppelgänger’s skin. “It was just a vibe. We’re safe.”

Reverb tenses at that. Cisco winces when he pulls away.

“Reverb - ”

“It wasn’t just a vibe,” he rasps. Cisco aches to soothe the burn of pain he knows is scratching nails on Reverb’s tongue. “I’m telling you. I’m being haunted.”

Cisco reaches for Reverb again - slow, easy as the connection between them. Reverb lets Cisco grip his shoulders.

“Zoom isn’t haunting you. Remember what Mr. Ramon said? His soul was obliterated. And we scryed for him. We cleansed you. He’s gone.”

“He’s not. I can - I can feel him.” Reverb grabs Cisco’s hands, grip punishing in his fear, and presses Cisco’s touch to his chest. All of the rage, the ugly rot of shame and terror, is visible even through the half shadows of night. “He’s coming back for me. He’s not just haunting me. He’s hunting me. Coming back to finish the job.”

“Mr. Ramon - ”

“Doesn’t know everything,” Reverb snaps, pushing Cisco away again. The rejection stings like fingernails shredding against his bones and his chest gapes around the pain.

Reverb turns away completely. He drops his feet to the floor and curls over his knees. Cisco studies the slope of his shoulders, his tremors. Taking a moment to breathe out frustration and the solid stone of hurt, Cisco tosses his own legs off the bed and moves to the other side. He goes to his knees - Reverb’s favorite position for him - and curls his palms over Reverb’s own. Reverb won’t look at him.

“You’re right,” Cisco supplicates. He thumbs over Reverb’s bare legs, soothing, trying to tether Reverb back to him, back to them, and not the things that haunt him. “But he knows more than us. About this stuff, anyway. We can trust him.”

Reluctantly, Reverb meets his gaze. He always looks younger like this, more vulnerable and tender. The way Cisco looked when he was murdered. Cisco aches.

“You never saw what I saw. Zoom - ” Reverb chokes a little on his name. Cisco reaches up with one hand, cupping Reverb’s cheek with a soft touch he know Reverb loathes loving. “Death hasn’t stopped him. Just like it didn’t stop us.”

Cisco doesn’t really know what to say to that, so he runs his thumb over the dimple in their chin. Reverb mirrors the touch.

“I don’t care what Ramon says. He’s coming for me.”

“Then he’ll have to deal with me,” Cisco says firmly. A hint of a smile pulls at Reverb’s mouth and Cisco latches onto the first sign of calm with vicious teeth, just the way Reverb’s taught him. “And the rest of Team Flash. He’s not gonna know what hit him.”

Reverb sighs. It’s not over, Cisco knows. The phantom pain that beats in their chests, the crush of failure, the ache of weakness, will probably never leave them. But they have each other to stitch at the twin wounds.

“Why don’t we go to Earth 12 tomorrow? Franky’s been bugging us to visit and even Mr. Ramon says he can teach us something about magic. We can ask him - ” Cisco doesn’t say to help, because Reverb hates going to any of their dopplegangers for help. Especially Franky.

Cisco lets his words trail off, instead pressing a kiss to Reverb’s knee. Reverb caves. His fingers move through Cisco’s hair and his legs open, obvious but calmed.

“Okay,” Reverb agrees. “But I’m not tired anymore, Vibe.”

Cisco rolls his eyes but lets Reverb roll him back into bed. Doubt tugs blunt the base of his skull, inflaming his fear and nerves. He lets Reverb quiet the worry in both of their heads. Tomorrow; they’ll face their terror tomorrow. They’ll be safe tonight.

 


	3. reverb isn't dead but in fact on a beach planet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> darknessandterrorandkittens asked: revibe + "they can't hurt you anymore"

“You’re okay,” a voice is saying. It’s low and familiar, settling deep in Cisco’s belly, anchoring his spirit even as his limbs flail and he tries to push himself up. The ground keeps shifting underneath him. He can smell salt, hear rolling waves, feel warm, rough earth under his fingers, but he can’t see.

“Breathe,” the voice says, and Cisco does. Deep. Steady. Something calm rolls along his spine and he stills. The last thing he remembers is training with Ralph - then there was a breach, a slice in the universe, and he’d thought it was Cindy -

“You’re okay,” the voice, not Cindy, repeats. “They can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe.”

Cisco’s eyes finally adjust to the heavy dark. He can make out jagged stone, sand, a blur of light far away. He’s in a cave, he’s sure, and the ocean is lapping not far outside. It takes more time to see the figure at his side, but his chest throbs with recognition long before his eyes.

“Reverb?”

He feels more than sees Reverb smile. Something not quite as sharp as shock lights him up. There’s nothing like surprise when he finally focuses on Reverb’s face, hovering soft above his own. Seeing Reverb alive doesn’t feel like something he doesn’t already know. We’re connected, Francisco.

Reverb’s fingers run over his forehead, through his hair, more gentle than Cisco imagined his doppelganger could be. Then Reverb settles on his knees.

“The one and only.”

“How,” Cisco starts, pressing his palms into the sand in attempt to gain leverage. He falters, but Reverb is there in an instant, warm hand between Cisco’s shoulders, steadying him.

“The how I’m alive isn’t important,” Reverb says. His hand is still on Cisco’s body. “What’s important is that I’m here. And I’ve been watching you, Vibe.”

The smile burned into Cisco’s memories, into his skin, unfurls slow and sure. Despite the sea warmth in the air, Cisco shivers.

“I have to say. I’m incredibly disappointed.”

-

The sand is black. The ocean is sapphire. It’s beautiful, all dark coated and sparkling under a golden sun. Cisco can appreciate the aesthetic of a lovely alien beach even if he wants to get the hell off of it.

“I thought you’d be happy here. This place - it’s like it was made for us. Can’t you feel it?”

Cisco clenches his jaw as Reverb walks in a slow, evaluating circle around him. He can feel it; all the life in the sea, the air, the energy that buzzes when he curls his bare toes into the sand. It barely takes a moment to reach out, connect with every vibration of this earth. His skin is buzzing with the overflow of power but it feels like releasing a breath. Natural. Flexing his power feels as simple as flexing stiff fingers.

Reverb’s bare feet come under his eye line. It’s jarring, seeing Reverb bereft of his leather and samurai knot. The eyeliner is still in place but it’s kohl soft, fitting the flow of his black shirt and pants. He looks more human against the backdrop of the ocean. Lovely in a way that makes Cisco’s brain hurt and belly twist. Cisco looks away.

He feels Reverb’s frustration. “I didn’t bring you here to ignore me.”

“Why did you bring me here, then?” Cisco finally meets his doppelganger anger.

“To protect - ” Reverb begins, then clicks his tongue. He steps closer into Cisco’s space. “To teach you to protect yourself. To show you that you don’t have to be afraid of them.”

Reverb cups his cheek. Cisco lets him, only for a moment, only to catalog the difference between their palms and their body temperatures and their sense of personal boundaries. He pushes Reverb’s hand away. Reverb only smirks in response.

“I told you, they’re my friends. I’m not afraid  _of_  them. I’m afraid of  _hurting_  them.”

“You’re afraid of how they would look at you if you showed them your real power. The fear that would make them shake if you became the god you were destined to be. That’s what frightens you, Vibe. And that’s what’s holding you back.”

Anger burns boils under Cisco’s skin and he bites the inside of his cheek, hard enough for the pain to distract from the twist in his gut.

“You couldn’t even beat The Flash’s record of fighting metahumans,” Reverb sneers. Cisco flinches. “You held yourself back.”

“So you kidnapped me to tell me I’m a crappy superhero?”

“I rescued you.”

Cisco throws up his hands. “I didn’t need rescuing from my friends.”

“Your friends?” Reverb scoffs. “They’re suffocating you. They’re damning you to mediocrity, they’re killing you, and you’re just letting them, because you’re too afraid to be alone.”

“I’m not - ”

Reverb’s hands settle on him again. Cisco doesn’t know if it’s the calloused warmth of Reverb’s touch or the fact that once their skin is fluttering against each other Cisco can connect to the heart of them. Cisco’s eyes close as Reverb’s sturdiness anchors him still. He breathes in Reverb’s power, the truth of his words, the aching want that beats hot in his chest.

Cisco’s knees snap under a flash of need. It’s cavernous and gaping and Cisco knows it’s a mirror reflection of his own desperation. Reverb grips his upper arms, holding him in right in the claws of it.

“They can’t hurt you anymore,” Reverb whispers, mouth like salt against Cisco’s ear. “Not here. Not with me.”

“Let go of me,” Cisco pants, but he’s clutching Reverb just as fiercely, unable to push or pull away. “Take me back. Take me back.”

“Not to them.”

Cisco closes his eyes. He tries to ignore the smell of ocean, the smell of salt on Reverb’s skin, how warm he feels nestled blood close to their connection. Instead he focuses on the bright pulse of Reverb’s power, the lull of it, digging in with teeth until he feels the spark of energy that shoots power from his palms.

Reverb is propelled backward. He falls flat on his back into the sand. Cisco has a split second of worry, of that fear that Reverb was so right about. He rushes forward, hands outstretched to help or hurt again, but he stops at the sound of Reverb’s laughter.

He watches in confusion as Reverb pushes himself up to his knees.

“Still so magnificent, Francisco.” Reverb licks his lips. “Still no idea.”

Heart pounding, Cisco lifts his hands again. “There’s more where that came from, pal.”

Reverb laughs again as he stands. “But you don’t know how to get to it, do you? I can show you.”

“Out of the kindness of your heart?” Cisco asks, forcing himself not to back away as Reverb stalks towards him.

Reverb tilts his head, smiles, mimicking the movements that made Cisco’s skin tighten the first time they met. “You know why I’m offering to train you, Vibe. You’ve seen it. You’ve felt it. Everything that I want from you.”

“And you know you’re never gonna get it.”

Reverb stops. He’s only a few breaths away but he does stop. “I know you’re going to fight it every step of the way. That’s what will make it feel so good when you finally give in.”

“You are such a creep,” Cisco says, but he puts his hands down.

His body is still thrumming with fight or flight and every muscle is twitching to breach away. But Reverb will follow. Will come for him again, eventually. And what will Cisco have gained besides empty distance? He’ll be no closer to saving Barry from Devoe’s machinations or defeating The Thinker or serving as a decent hero in the absence of The Flash and Kid Flash. He won’t be any less afraid.

“What can you show me in a day?”  

“The world,” Reverb breathes.

Cisco rolls his eyes. When Reverb offers his open hand, though, Cisco takes it.


End file.
